You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

Re: Night time feedings 7mo every 1.5-2hrs..yikes!

A few weeks ago we experienced this as well after going nearly 8 hr stretches at night. I started concentrating on really tanking her up before I went to sleep (we cosleep too and are trying Pantley's methods) and when she tries to nurse for comfort or starts slipping into comfort sucking I use the Pantley Pull Off. She still seems to wake up once a night, but that is AOK with me at this point - she obviously still needs a feed then. For my baby this seemed to coincide with teething, during the day she wasn't feeding for long enough and also at times she just seemed to want the comfort. During the day, I found if I fed her when she was half asleep she nursed for longer, sometimes taking both sides. The key for me though is tanking her up when she is sleepy, alert she nurses briefly at times.

Re: Night time feedings 7mo every 1.5-2hrs..yikes!

Originally Posted by @llli*caymanali

A few weeks ago we experienced this as well after going nearly 8 hr stretches at night. I started concentrating on really tanking her up before I went to sleep (we cosleep too and are trying Pantley's methods) and when she tries to nurse for comfort or starts slipping into comfort sucking I use the Pantley Pull Off. She still seems to wake up once a night, but that is AOK with me at this point - she obviously still needs a feed then. For my baby this seemed to coincide with teething, during the day she wasn't feeding for long enough and also at times she just seemed to want the comfort. During the day, I found if I fed her when she was half asleep she nursed for longer, sometimes taking both sides. The key for me though is tanking her up when she is sleepy, alert she nurses briefly at times.

At night I don't breastfeed him to sleep any more after dinner...he gave that up himself a few weeks ago. I BF him and sometimes he takes it, but even if he BF's he doesn't fall asleep now and I rock him to sleep in my arms now. Even during the night he doesn't fall back to sleep at the breast, he pulls himself off each time and tries to fall asleep himself, but mostly the last week he hasn't managed it and we end up rocking him to sleep again.

The first part of the evening eg until midnight is going well now that I have increased his BF feeds during the day...LO sleeps straight through now after dinner eg he has around 4-5hrs without a feed...this makes me assume his little tummy is full

It's the next stretch which is causing chaos. Last night he woke at 11.30pm for the first feed, then he woke at 12.30am, 3,30am, 5.30am, 6.30am & 7.15am. My DH tried to rock him to sleep each time but LO just cried until I fed him. When he finished each time he couldn't get back to sleep after nursing (which he used to do until last week) and DH rocked him back each time until the 6.30am awakening...we then just accepted we had an early wake up today and laid in bed together snuggling

Is he actually hungry or do I assume this is all just comfort sucking
Do I take the hard line eg schedule him not to feed for 3hrs or do I just let him take the breast?

Re: Night time feedings 7mo every 1.5-2hrs..yikes!

Originally Posted by @llli*designerfish

At night I don't breastfeed him to sleep any more after dinner...he gave that up himself a few weeks ago. I BF him and sometimes he takes it, but even if he BF's he doesn't fall asleep now and I rock him to sleep in my arms now. Even during the night he doesn't fall back to sleep at the breast, he pulls himself off each time and tries to fall asleep himself, but mostly the last week he hasn't managed it and we end up rocking him to sleep again.

I read this and thought to myself that it will probably change according to his whim. It might be that now he won't bf to sleep after dinner, but that might change in a month if you keep offering. the same with falling asleep after bf at night. this might be a temporary thing...

The first part of the evening eg until midnight is going well now that I have increased his BF feeds during the day...LO sleeps straight through now after dinner eg he has around 4-5hrs without a feed...this makes me assume his little tummy is full

when is his last daytime nap? that might also affect the sleeping early on in the evening. glad that you've had more success with feeding during the day! I would still try to tank up before putting down for the night like another pp mentioned. i also sometimes wake her up around 10pm (if she's gone to bed at 7pm) to further fill her so that she doesn't wake up right as I fall asleep.

It's the next stretch which is causing chaos. Last night he woke at 11.30pm for the first feed, then he woke at 12.30am, 3,30am, 5.30am, 6.30am & 7.15am. My DH tried to rock him to sleep each time but LO just cried until I fed him. When he finished each time he couldn't get back to sleep after nursing (which he used to do until last week) and DH rocked him back each time until the 6.30am awakening...we then just accepted we had an early wake up today and laid in bed together snuggling

My feeling with this is that it also is temporary...I would not be suprised at all if it turned out to be the teeth, or the learning of a new developmental skill causing this. My experience is that if it was out of the norm to have so much night waking, you'd have a few nights of it, and then one night of "normalcy" and then maybe a few more of chaos until it evened out.

Is he actually hungry or do I assume this is all just comfort sucking
Do I take the hard line eg schedule him not to feed for 3hrs or do I just let him take the breast?

i would not do a schedule so early on and would just let him if it calms him down, he's still young yet! I would keep doing what you're doing during the day and just wait it out.

Re: Night time feedings 7mo every 1.5-2hrs..yikes!

Originally Posted by @llli*designerfish

At night I don't breastfeed him to sleep any more after dinner...he gave that up himself a few weeks ago. I BF him and sometimes he takes it, but even if he BF's he doesn't fall asleep now and I rock him to sleep in my arms now. Even during the night he doesn't fall back to sleep at the breast, he pulls himself off each time and tries to fall asleep himself, but mostly the last week he hasn't managed it and we end up rocking him to sleep again.

The first part of the evening eg until midnight is going well now that I have increased his BF feeds during the day...LO sleeps straight through now after dinner eg he has around 4-5hrs without a feed...this makes me assume his little tummy is full

It's the next stretch which is causing chaos. Last night he woke at 11.30pm for the first feed, then he woke at 12.30am, 3,30am, 5.30am, 6.30am & 7.15am. My DH tried to rock him to sleep each time but LO just cried until I fed him. When he finished each time he couldn't get back to sleep after nursing (which he used to do until last week) and DH rocked him back each time until the 6.30am awakening...we then just accepted we had an early wake up today and laid in bed together snuggling

Is he actually hungry or do I assume this is all just comfort sucking
Do I take the hard line eg schedule him not to feed for 3hrs or do I just let him take the breast?

Awww Mama this was my life last week as well, hugs to you . I was beyond tired! I am not sure whether or not this is comfort sucking or not, for me it was most of the time - my LO would only nurse briefly usually just a minute or two, if she was hungry she would nurse for longer. Sometimes I was lucky and my LO would just comfort suck and went back to sleep other times (many!)nursing was no comfort and I was up again rocking her back to sleep. What I can tell you that for us it coincided with a few things, first I was trying to get my little one into the crib and she also is teething. I went back to cosleeping and it stopped after a few nights. I also tried the Pantley Pull of Method to encourage the little one to get back to sleep when she was coming out of her sleep schedules. I now think she isn't ready for the crib (neither am I!) and at this time she just needs me more nearby her. She still takes a full side 1-2/night and that is aok with me!

I love the No-Cry Sleep Solution, it's great for understanding babies sleep cycles. I am finding key ways to ensuring my little one can make it from the light stage sleep back into the deeper sleep stage. It sounds like this could possibly be help to you as well. Now when my baby starts stirring and entering the light stage I shhhh her, cuddle her and sometimes even just cuddling up to the boob is enough to send her into the next sleep cycle. The more you can encourage longer nap and sleep sessions the better your baby will sleep.

Re: Night time feedings 7mo every 1.5-2hrs..yikes!

His last daytime nap is usually a wake up around 4/4.30pm and then dinner around 6/6.30 and then BF before I put him to bed for the night.

Thanks for the insight...I will just "deal with it" in the hope that this is short term.

Yesterday he only napped total of 1.5hrs all day and then slept very poorly last night waking every hour and at one stage we were all awake for 2.5hrs.

He is sucking everything at the moment and wants to constantly have something in his mouth. I really hope there are teeth on the way and that it's not a "habit" of eating frequently during the night. Either way will continue to try and tank him up during the day.

Thanks for everyone's responses. It's wonderful to be part of this supportive community.

Re: Night time feedings 7mo every 1.5-2hrs..yikes!

Originally Posted by @llli*caymanali

when my baby starts stirring and entering the light stage I shhhh her, cuddle her and sometimes even just cuddling up to the boob is enough to send her into the next sleep cycle. The more you can encourage longer nap and sleep sessions the better your baby will sleep.